The Pittsburgh Steelers are the midst another offseason with star running back Le'Veon Bell on the franchise tag for the second straight year. The conversation has once again shifted toward working out a new extension before the deadline in July.

However, there has yet to be any significant movement in getting a deal put in place for the 26-year-old as the team gets underway into offseason workouts. According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, Bell has made the expected decision to be away from the team while the negotiation process is taking place.

Running back Le'Veon Bell is working out in Miami while the Steelers begin voluntary offseason workouts. Bell was widely expected to stay away from the team while franchise tag negotiations are ongoing. Bell plans to workout rigorously over the next few months, most likely on his own.

Bell has been quite clear that he is looking to secure a lucrative deal that will make him the highest-paid running back in the league. However, this has been a slow process from both sides toward getting a new extension hammered out this offseason.

The Steelers certainly want to keep Bell in the mix for the long haul, but coming to an agreement on a contract has been the difficult process. The Pro Bowler has done more than his part to prove his worth as arguably the best all-around running back in the league over the last couple of years.

RECOMMENDED (Article Continues Below)
Ben Roethlisberger surrounded by piles of cash.

JR Malabanan ·

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin with quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Justin Fields

Sonny Giuliano ·

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk next to the logo for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Both are surrounded by question marks.

Ben Strauss ·

He is coming off yet another highly productive campaign he finished third in the league with 1,291 rushing yards and nine rushing touchdowns and a career-best 85 catches for 655 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns. His 85 receptions are the most by a running back in a single season in team history. Meanwhile, his 1,946 total scrimmage yards were second in the NFL and the third most in a single season in franchise history.

The further that this situation remains fluid, the larger it will remain a looming issue overhead the franchise in a similar fashion to last year. It is certainly something to keep an eye on over the next couple of months as the deadline to get a new extension done draws closer.